Nations Cup victory for Brits

John Whitaker riding Argento for the winning British Team.Photo: Stefano Secchi

Team Great Britain produced a superb back-to-back double in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Europe Division 1 League when following up their success at La Baule, France recently with another extraordinary victory at Piazza di Siena in Rome, Italy on 22 May. It was another nail-biting competition that came down to a fierce battle with the reigning Furusiyya champions from The Netherlands this time around. And, not for the first time in his long and legendary career, the result was sealed by the master craftsman John Whitaker.

It was his younger brother, 55-year-old Michael, who clinched it for his side at the French fixture 7 days ago, but this time Michael’s single time fault could have cost his country dearly. Because if John, who turns 60 in August, left a fence on the floor second time out, then all the glory would go to the Dutch. Instead he produced one of 4 double-clear rounds to ensure pole position and a standing ovation for his team from the enthusiastic Italian crowd.

Sweden lined up third behind The Netherlands while Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Qatar and Belgium filled the remaining places.

Judgement and skill

Another hero of the day was master Italian course-designer Uliano Vezzani whose judgement and skill was tested to the limit by appalling weather conditions that seriously affected the arena surface. Thunderous rain prior to the competition made the going deep and sloppy, and he took the decision to lower rails, reduce spreads and take over a metre off the stretch of the open water in order to ensure the welfare of horses was not compromised in any way. Yet he still produced an afternoon of intense competition that went right down to the wire.

The British were already out in front on a zero score at the halfway stage after foot-perfect runs from Michael and John Whitaker, and John’s son Robert. Relative newcomer, 25-year-old Holly Gillott, hit the second element of the Longines triple combination at fence 7 and both elements of the penultimate double to provide the British discount score first time out with Dougie Douglas.

The open water was the 4th fence on the track and provided few problems but the following oxer hit the floor on several occasions while the planks vertical at six required a careful approach off a sweeping left-hand turn and it was here that Dutch pathfinder and reigning World double-gold medallist Jeroen Dubbeldam made an error with Zenith. However the biggest drama of the first round was provided by Italy’s Piergiorgio Bucci when, clear all the way to the final planks, his stallion, Casall Z, drifted to the right on this left-bending line and galloped past the fence. The crowd was dumb-struck as the pair were awarded a total of 6 faults from which their side could not recover.

Rallied brilliantly

The Swiss rallied superbly with 3 fault-free rounds second time out that included a double-clear for pathfinders Jane Richard Philips and Pablo Virton, but it was all too late to put them back in the game with 16 faults already on the board. And a nasty fall for Jos Verlooy and Farfelu de la Pomme when the mare left out a stride at the final element of the combination put paid to Belgian chances. The team from Qatar inched ahead of them to fill 7th place at the end of the day while the Spanish held their ground when adding just 4 faults to finish on a total of 12. And Sweden also stood firm, thanks in no small part to superb double-clears from Angelie von Essen (Jordan ll) and Henrik von Eckermann (Cantinero).

But it was the Dutch who chased the British all the way to the line, Dubbeldam’s second 4-fault effort followed by 3 great clears from Maikel van der Vleuten (VDL Groep Verdi) and Jur Vrieling (VDL Zirocco Blue) whose horses never touched a pole all day to leave them on their first-round 4-fault tally.

Boost British chances

Gillott produced a copybook second round to boost British chances, but a mistake at the very last fence for Robert Whitaker and Catwalk IV put the pressure on, and although Michael Whitaker and Cassionata were also free of jumping faults they passed the 80-seconds time allowed to collect a single time fault and suddenly it was critical. Because if John Whitaker could not stay clear then his team would have to count that single fault and would have to settle for runner-up spot with a total of 5.

The crowd watched intently as he set off, last to go and with everything hanging in the balance. And Argento ensured that his rider had plenty of riding to do as he pulled his way around the course, but leaving all the timber intact to the great joy of the appreciative crowd. This was Great Britain’s 9th victory in the 83-year history of CSIO Rome, and the spectators enjoyed every moment of it.

The next leg will take place in Lisbon, Portugal on Friday 29 May. Full result here